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Smothered Chicken with Creamed Spinach, Bacon, Mushrooms - a delicious way to cook boneless, skinless chicken breasts! Your chicken is guaranteed to be moist and tender.
Comfort food and healthy ingredients all in one dish! This smothered chicken recipe is gluten free, low carb, packed with protein and vegetables.
If you love stuffed chicken breasts, you'll love this easier "smothered" version of the stuffed chicken. The assembly is really easy: just put the creamed spinach, bacon, mushrooms and Pepper Jack cheese on top of seasoned chicken breasts and bake everything uncovered to perfection. This chicken dinner recipe is anything but boring!
How to make smothered chicken:
Generously season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt, lemon pepper seasoning and a small amount of paprika. Place the chicken breasts, flat side down, into the greased baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 F:
In the mean time, make the creamed spinach. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add spinach and cook for only 1 or 2 minutes, covered, until the spinach is thoroughly heated through and start to wilt. Remove from heat. Add minced garlic and half and half. Bring to boil. Add shredded mozzarella cheese and keep stirring, on high heat, until mozzarella cheese starts to melt - about 30 seconds. Reduce heat to simmer and keep stirring until you have a nice, smooth creamed spinach - about 30 seconds or 1 more minute. Season with salt to your taste. Remove from heat.
In a separate pan, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add sliced mushrooms and cook on high-medium heat for 1-2 minutes until mushroom caramelize. Do not salt mushrooms or it will prevent the caramelization.
Remove the chicken breasts from the oven (you baked them for 15-20 minutes). Top (or smother) each chicken breast with the creamed spinach:
Continue smothering the chicken with cooked and chopped bacon on top of chicken (make sure to cook the bacon in advance - I cooked it in the oven):
Add cooked mushrooms on top:
Add broken slices of pepper jack cheese (Monterey Jack cheese with Jalapenos):
Bake the chicken in the oven, uncovered for 15-20 more minutes, until chicken is cooked through, no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear. Broil for the last 2-4 minutes, if desired, being careful not to burn the cheese on top.
Smothered Chicken with Creamed Spinach, Bacon, Mushrooms
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1.5 lb chicken breast skinless, boneless (4 small chicken breast or 2 large chicken breast, halved)
- salt
- ¼ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
Creamed spinach:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 10 oz spinach fresh
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ⅔ cup half and half
- ⅔ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Other Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 oz mushrooms sliced
- 4 slices bacon cooked, chopped
- 4 slices Pepper Jack cheese or Monterey Jack Cheese with Jalapenos
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Butter the bottom of the baking dish (I used an oval casserole dish measured 13 inches x 9 inches x 4 inches deep).
- Generously season chicken breasts on both sides with salt, lemon pepper seasoning and a small amount of paprika. Place the chicken breasts, flat side down, into the greased baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 F.
How to make creamed spinach:
- In the mean time, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add spinach and cook for only 1 or 2 minutes, covered, until the spinach is thoroughly heated through and start to wilt. Remove from heat. Add minced garlic and half and half. Bring to boil. Add shredded mozzarella cheese and keep stirring, on high heat, until mozzarella cheese starts to melt - about 30 seconds. Reduce heat to simmer and keep stirring until you have a nice, smooth creamed spinach - about 30 seconds or 1 more minute. Season with salt to your taste. Remove from heat.
Cook mushrooms:
- In a separate pan, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add sliced mushrooms and cook on high-medium heat for 1-2 minutes until mushroom caramelize. Do not salt mushrooms or it will prevent the caramelization.
Smothered chicken assembly:
- Remove the chicken breasts from the oven (you baked them for 15-20 minutes). Top each chicken breast with the creamed spinach, chopped cooked bacon, cooked mushrooms and broken slices of pepper jack cheese. Bake in the oven, uncovered for 15-20 more minutes, until chicken is cooked through, no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear. Broil for the last 2-4 minutes, if desired, being careful not to burn the cheese on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Can this be frozen? Smothered chicken with spinach, bacon and mushrooms
Yes, this is a freezer friendly recipe.
what can you use instead of bacon ?
Pancetta or thinly sliced ham would probably be fine. I wouldn't use a ham that was too salty, maybe a smoked ham.
Yes, use pancetta or prosciutto.
Sooooooo Delicious!!! Made this for dinner was gone before icould take a pictre!!! Thanks for sharing!!
Do you think this would be possible to make in a slow cooker? If so, how would you accomplish it?
I made this last night and it was superb!
Amazing!! It was a hit in my house evem the kids loved it! Juicy, flavorful...there were no leftovers! Lol... Def will make again! Thanks for the receipe! 😉
We have made this recipe twice now and my family loves it. It is a new favorite on the menu!
I am going to make this tomorrow for sure. Sounds wonderful...just need to hit the store for a few of the ingredients.
I made this a few nights ago and it was so good! It's the first time in a very long time that this dark meat lover actually enjoyed chicken breast. It was so moist and the whole dish was just so flavorful! I made mashed potatoes to go with it and the sauce was perfect with them. Leftovers the next day were just as amazing!
Thank you, Stephanie! Glad you liked it!
What's is half and half ?
Half and half is an American product, which can be reproduced pretty close by combining half heavy cream and half regular milk.
Unbelievable combo of flavors and textures. A total keeper! Thanks
Thank you so much, Joy! I am glad you enjoyed it!
I made this tonight and it turned out fabulous! I didn't have pepper jack cheese so I left that out, and I had heavy cream and skim milk so I used a cup of each for the sauce, increased the amount of mozzarella and there was plenty to put on the mashed potatoes I made with it. The chicken was so moist! I will definitely be making this again!
So glad you liked it! Great substitutions! Mashed potatoes sound YUM with this chicken! 🙂
This was soooo good. Made it last night and it was a big hit!
OMG to die for!!! I'm glad I made extra.
My mouth is watering! This looks delicious...all of my favorite ingredients combined into one. Can't wait to make it!
Totally craving chicken and this sounds like an amazing recipe. We're always looking for new recipes to add to the mix. All your chicken recipes are delicious!